1876 20C PR65 PCGS. CAC. After a mintage of 2,790 proofs of
the 1875, the 1876 saw a significant drop in production with only
1,260 proofs struck. Breen (1977) writes that 2,200 proof twenty
cent pieces were sold to collectors in 1875, which means that 590
were still on hand at the start of 1876. The Mint likely used some
of the remaining stock to sell to collectors who wanted an example
of the newly released denomination but were unconcerned with the
date.
However, even with a mintage of only 1,260 proofs in 1876, the Mint
still had 450 proofs left over at the end of the year. Breen
speculates that the majority were 1876s, the remaining 1875s having
been distributed throughout the previous year. While not
particularly rare, the 1876 becomes quite challenging in grades
above PR65. PCGS has graded only 18 better examples (7/11). Each
side exhibits spectacular multicolored toning, which is a bit
deeper on the reverse. The mirrored flash in the fields is
partially subdued by the depth and intensity of the toning.From The Oliver Collection.(Registry
values: N4719) (NGC ID# 27H3, PCGS# 5304)